Butter chip



y 17, 1932- i c. E. MILLIRON ET AL 1,858,247

BUTTER'CHIP Filed Dec. 9. 1929 FIGI-I.

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Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAMERON E. MILLIRON, OF FOREST HILLS, N'EW YORK, AND JOHN'F. FINNEGAN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS BUTTER- C1511 Application filed December 9, 1929. Serial No. 412,684.

This invention relates to butter chips and more particularly to a type of butter chip having means for accommodating cracked ice to prevent the butter from melting. The

. chip of this invention is not only characterized by a number of advantages with respect to the cooling of the butter and drainage of ice water, but is also characterized by a design which admits of economical manufacture and the nesting of a plurality of chips snugly together for convenient handling by waiters.

One object of the invention is to provide a support for one or more pieces of butter, the

support being preferably adapted to accommodate a single block of butter of customary size, and a surrounding channel for the accommodation of ice, the parts being so formed that the sides of the butter are exposed to the cooling effect of the ice.

Another object is to provide a crowned surface upon which the butter is adapted to rest, provision being made for preventing the butter from sliding and yet permitting 35 proper drainage of the surface. 7

Another object is to provide an air space directly beneath the surface upon which the butter rests, the air. space serving to insulate this surface from beneath so that full advantage may be taken of the conductivity of the material of which the chip is made to maintain the butter in a frozen state.

Still another object is to provide an outer peripheral flange designed to prevent the waiters thumb from coming in contact with the ice or butter.

The various advantages characterizing this invention are more fully set forth in the description of one form which the invention may take which follows hereinafter, having reference to the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

Fig. I is a plan view of a butter chip embodying the invention; and

Fig. TI is a sectional view of the same taken along the lines IIII of Fig. I.

The drawings represent a butter chip comprising generally a support 1 having a crowned surface adapted to hold a block of butter of customary size, as indicated in Fig.

I at 2 by broken lines, and asurrounding channel 8 for the accommodation of cracked ice. This channel 3 is so formed with respect to theraised support 1 that pieces of i664 may be piled to the level of the top of the butter in order that the best advantage may be taken of the cooling effect of the ice. For this purpose the outer Wall 5 extends considerably above the top of the butter support 1. v

The outer wall 5 of the channel 3 terminates in a horizontally extending peripheral flange 6 affording a handle portion of suflicient width to permit the convenient holding of the chip between thumb and fingers with out the thumb coming in contact with either ice or butter. The flange 6 is fluted at 7 so that it may be more firmly gripped.

Around the peripheral edge of the crowned surface of the butter support 1 there is a bead 8 which serves to prevent the butter from sliding and which is preferably of such diameter as to hold a single piece of butter squarely on the support. The head 8 is interrupted at 9 to afford drainage of the crowned surface.

Beneath the support there is an air space 10, which, as the chip rests on a table, thermally insulates the bottom of the support from the atmosphere, so that the butter, even though it may be melting throughout its upper portion, will freeze at its bottom portion to the surface of the support.

The chip described is preferably made of metal, in which case the ice, especially if metal of good conductivity is employed, will absorb heat from the butter through conduction, thus maintaining the butter in a solid state for a considerable length of time. It will be apparent that the support 1 and surrounding channel 3 are of such conformation that one such chip will snugly nest within another and thus add to the convenience of a waiter in handling the chips. There are no cavities for the accumulation of dirt, and the chip may be easily cleaned and polished.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: I

1. A metal butter chip comprising a crowned support adapted to accommodate a block of butter of customary size having a peripheral bead serving to hold the block of butter squarely on the support, and a surrounding channel for the accommodation of ice having an outer Wall terminating in. a horizontally extending peripheral flange to afford a handle portion.

2. A metal butter chip comprising 'a crowned support adapted to accommodate a block of butter of customary size having a peripheral bead serving to hold the block of butter squarely on the support and having an air space therebeneath, and a surrounding channel for the accommodation of ice, said channel having an outer Wall raised with re spect to the butter support and terminating in a horizontally extending peripheral flange to afford a handle portion, said channel and support having corresponding upper and lower surfaces so that one such chip will nest snugly Within another.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto signed our names.

CAMERON E. MILLIRON. JOHN .wF. FINNEGAN.

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